Vincentian Friendship

Friendship House

Working Together

Praying Together

Celebrating Together

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Vincentian Friendship

Friendship House Working Together Praying Together Celebrating Together

Friendship HouseInspired by the Vincentian values of Friendship, Spirituality, and Service, Vincentians Liz Davies and Jules Caelli began a soup kitchen called Friendship House. It was located at the southwest tip of San Pedro Park on the corner of Flores and Grayson, near an area where homeless brothers and sisters normally gathered for shelter under a bridge. Each Sunday morning for nearly twenty years, conference members served breakfast and distributed bus tokens to homeless persons who came to Friendship House. These members included Reno Bradicich, Ted Comeau, Jules Capelli, Don Chiminello, Liz Davies, Bill Martin, Joe Savoy, John Spitzer, and Arthur Uhl.

Besides the Friendship House ministry, the following SVDP members distributed food and bus tokens, and visited the sick and homebound from the parish location: Val Beyer, Leo Dominicali, Fidel Flores, Bob Fotch, Dick Meskill, Randy Perkins, and Tony Steinkruger.

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"When did I see you hungry?"

At a recruitment talk from the pulpit in 1999, Arthur Uhl shared an indelible memory for his days serving homeless persons at Friendship House::"One morning at Friendship House, we had a line of homeless brothers and sisters and were down to our last chicken.

I kept cutting pieces off that one chicken... and from that one chicken, everyone was fed..."

"The Beggar-Christ and Vincent de Paul" by Meltem Aktas. is used with the permission of the Vincentian Community, Rosati House, Chicago, Illinois.

In 1982, Tom Haack from Archdiocesan Council of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul was in charge of the Dining Room at the newly formed San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries (SAMM) shelter.

The new SVDP Dining Room managers requested that Friendship House donate its stoves and equipment, and from that point, members of our conference started to help on a regular basis at the new shelter. The first work crews included Doug and Emmy Douville, Bill Beck, Keith DuBois, and Arthur Uhl.

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From Friendship House to the Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Room at the SAMM shelter to St. Vinny's Bistro at Haven for Hope, Vincentians have looked for effective ways to serve the most vulnerable members of our population.

Today, Kathleen Putnam, often assisted by Deborah Nordhaus, serves dinner at Haven for Hope, monthly. They welcome all members to join them and other volunteers who gather and depart from the parish parking lot at 3:30 on the fourth Friday of each month.

Josefina Dong (right) with UIW student and Michael McGuire toured Haven for Hope. to learn about its enhanced opportunities for job-seekers from the homeless community. Josefina has provided much of the historical information used in the present history of the Conference of Saint Vincent de Paul at Saint Peter Prince of the Apostles Parish. Josefina writes about a 1972 bulletin that provided drawings seen in the Pioneering Spirit section, "The old Bulletin was left in Irene Funderberg's house and found by Regina Mosel, whose parents were very active in St Peter's Church. Regina was an usher at St. Peter's for many years."

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Working Together

Today the Food Bank team includes its coordinator, Barbra Joseph and inventory assistance by Linda Rodge and Jack Joyce. The delivery team of Pete Severyns and Peter Herff III, and an unloading team that includes all the above plus Arnold Escobar, Mike McGuire, and Rita Villalpando.

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Working Together

Today the Food Bank team includes its coordinator, Barbara Joseph and inventory assistance by Linda Rodge and Jack Joyce. Above (r) Pete Severyns, Peter Herff III, and Rita Villalando unload a delivery from the Food Bank. Other regular helpers include Arnold Escobar, Mike McGuire, and Jack Joyce.

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Once the food has been obtained from the Food Bank and the shelves have been stocked, the pantry is ready to serve those who will visit the SVDP office in coming days.

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Sister Mary Teresa Phelan, CCVI, is the current Spiritual Advisor for the parish conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. She a member of the congregation of Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (CCVI) which has deep roots in the spirituality of St. Vincent de Paul.

Praying Together

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Sister Mary Teresa often reminds members to heed the reality of this excerpt from the opening prayer for SVDP meetings:Let us reflect on the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ, recalling His unity andpresence among us: "Where two or three are gathered together in my Name,there am I in the midst of them..."

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Celebrating Together

Mary Ran has been an active member of our Vincentian family for nearly ten years. She has served as secretary and as treasurer. She has seen that our freezer is never without provisions, and has hosted Vincentian evens at her home. Our blessing sends her and her family to the next stage of their journey.

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A Farewell Blesseing for Mary Ran

Conference President Laura Pacha presented Mary a medal of Our Lady of Guadalupe and a silver Texas map as a remembrance and token of esteen.

Whether at parish events such as Beethoven to Broadway or at Holiday Get-Togethers, or at Celebrations of New Life, Vincentian friendship enhances the moment.

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Friendship is enhanced as Vincentians strive to emulate St. Vincent in the five virtues essential for promoting love and respect for the poor:

• Simplicity• Humility• Gentleness• Selflessness• Zeal

Rule of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Part I, section 2.5.1

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Beethoven to Broadway

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Christmas at the Smiths' Home

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Celebrating New Life

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